Method of tufting mattresses



Aug. l5, 1933. w. B. |-am'r-u=.w'soN` METHOD d? TUFTING MATTREssEs FiledOct. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenov.

WHred B Mhewson by )JMJ M9114 A'rfys.

`Yao A Patented ug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,922,212METHOD F TUFTXNG `MA'LTRESSES Wilfred. Mat-heersen, North Weymouth,Mass., assigner to United Mattress Machinery Coin-` pany, Boston, aCorporation of Maine Applicationctober 9, 17931. `Serial No. 567,782

v 3 (Cl. M55-3) This invention relates to a method ot tartine;mattresses andV it has for one of its object" `provide an improvedmethod which is `applicable to the tuiting oi soe alle`d inner springmattresses although the invention is equally applicable to the tuftingof `anymattress. p

In `carrying out the invention the tufting needle is inserted throughthe mattress while the lat er is in a noncompressed condition 'therebycarry,- ing through the mattress a single end or tuiting cord. A tuftingknot with the usual tuft therein is then formed in the end ot the cordwhich has been passed through the mattress,` all this being accomplishedWhile the mattress is in a normal uncompressed condition.

`The needle is then Withdrawn from the mattress and simultaneously themattress is com-- pressed to the desired extent at the point Where `theneedle was inserted or Where the tutt isto be made thereby drawing thepreviously-formed tufting `knot firmly againstthe side of the mat-`tress. i

After'the" needle has been completely withN drawn from` the mattress asecond tuiting knot with its corresponding tuft is formed inthe cord onthe opposite sident the mattress and the tufting oord is severed therebycompleting the tufting operation.

As applied to a so-called.inner spring" matfress this method has the`advantage that since theneedle is inserted through the mattress beforethe latter is compressed and While the inner springs` are still in theirexpanded condition the latter are free to'give eitherin the direction ofthe length of `the spring or transversely` thereto incase the needlestrikes any coil of the spring during the penetrating thrust. This`ability of the spring to yield freely in case it is engaged by theneedle during the penetrating thrust allows the needle to readily slipby the spring Without causing any damage either to the spring or 'to theneedle such as `Would be likely to occur if the mattress and innersprings were compressed before the needle was thrust through themattress and during the penetrating thrust of the needle which engagedthe compressed spring.` i Q. i

' In order to give an understanding of the invention I` have illustratedinthe drawings one Way of practising the invention which will now bedescribed after which the novel features will be pointed `eut in theappended claims.

Fig. `l is a side view of mattress-tufting machine by which my improvedmethod may be carried out; i i

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show varioussteps in the process oi?- tuftingVa mattress in accordance with the present invention;

In the drawings 1 indicates a mattress to be tufted and itis illustratedas an inner spring ="-ss, that one having a plurality of springs 2within the body oi' the mattress, said spring being covered on each sideof the mattress by, a suitable padding 3 'and the .mattress having, ofcourse, the usual ticking 4.

lfn carrying out my improved methodv first thrust aV tufting needle 5through the mattress at the Ypoint Where anytuiting knot is tobe appliedand Whilethe mattress is in an uncompressed condition and the springs 2are in their normal expanded condition.

The needle, of course, carries the usualY tuiting cord 6 so that duringthis thrust of the needle through the. mattressa length of tufting cordwill be carried therethrough thereby to provide `a portion 7 of the cordwhich projects beyond-the face 8 `of the mattress :Eromwhich the needleemerges. .Atufting knot is then tied in this projecting portion. 7 ofcord and a suitable length of tufting yarn inserted Ain the knot inusual Way thereby tovform the tuft 9 as shovvnin Fig. 3. i Y After thetuft 9 has been formed the needle 5 is Withdrawn from the mattressandrat the Sametime the mattress is compressed toy the desired `extentat the tufting point as shown in Fig. 4. y

During the withdrawingof the needle the tuft 9 will be pullediirmlyagainst the face 8 of the mattress and when the needle' has beencompletely Withdrawn from the mattress as shown in Fig. 5 a singlelengthll of the tufting cord 6 will extend through the mattress. Anothertufting knctand tutt 12 is then formed in the tufting cord 6 at the face13 of the mattress and thetufting `cord is cut.` The `pressure, on theface 8 of the mattress is then relieved Yand the tuftingoperation iscompletedand `as shown in Fig. 7 thereqwill be a single length oftufting cord' 11 extending -throughthe mattress andtwo `tutti; 9 and `12at the ends ofthe length l1 of cord and on the opposite faces of themattress.

. There is a distinct advantage in thisimproved method `vvhen applied.to thetufting of inner L compression during `such thrust there is gravedanger that if in thrusting the needle through the compressed mattressit engages a compressed spring, either the spring or the needle willbemakes its penetrating thrust` and .is underV izo come broken ordamaged. Where the spring is compressed the coils are locked in positionand cannot readily yield in case they are engaged by the needle butwhere the spring is non-compressed and is in its expanded condition thenany turn of the spring is free to shift if it should be engaged by theneedle thereby allowing the needle to pass the spring without eitherinjuring the spring or the needle.

I have shown more or less diagrammatically in the drawings, a machineadapted to carry out my improved method.

Referring to Fig. 1, 14 indicates generally a mattress tufting machinewhich is provided with a bed or carriage 15 on which the mattress l tobe tufted is placed. This machine is shown as having the overhanging arm16 which carries at its end an upper knotting device 17 of some suitabletype and also a vertically-movable presser foot 18 by which the mattressis compressed. The machine is also provided with a lower knotting device19 of some suitable type, the two knottingdevices being operated by twoshafts 2G and 2l which are connected to work in proper timed relationthrough the medium of a connecting shaft 22. The needle 5 operates fromthe bottom and is thrust upwardly through the mattress. Said needle iscarried by a needle bar or needle carrier 23 which is mounted forvertical reciprocation in suitable guides 24 carried by the base of theframe. Said needle carrier 23 is actuated by a lever 25 pivoted to theframe at 26, said lever being connected to the carrier through a link 27and being actuated vby a cam groove 28 formed in a cam member 29. Thiscam member gives the needle its appropriate reciprocating movement.

The presser foot is mounted for vertical movement to enable it toperform the mattress-compressing operation. Said presser foot is shownas provided With a stem 30 in the form of a rack which engages a pinion31 and said pinion also meshes with and is actuated by ahorizontally-extending rack 32 which is connected by a link 33 to anelbow lever 34 pivoted to the frame at 35. One arm of this elbow leveris connected by a link 36 to a lever 37 pivoted to the frame at 38 andat the pivotal connection between the link 36' and arm 37 is a follower39 operating in a cam groove 40 formed in the cam element 29. v

In the operation of the machine the cam pat 28 rst actuates the lever 25to cause the needle V5 to penetrate the mattress, this occurring whilethe presser foot 18 is still in its raised position and while themattress is still uncompressed. When the needle has completed itspenetrating thrust as shown in Fig. 1 the knotter 17 operates to formthe knot or tuft 9 in the tufting cord 6. When the knotter 17 hascompleted its operation the cam path 28 operates to withdraw the needleas shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and at the same time the cam path 40 actuatesthe elbow lever 34 to depress the presser foot 18 and compress themattress, this compressing of the mattress occurring simultaneously withthe withdrawal of the needle. The cam path 40 will hold the presser footin its lowered position until the needle 5 is completely. withdrawn fromthe mattress and until the lower knotting device 19 has formed the lowertuft l2 and the tufting cord has been cut. 'Ihe presser foot is thenraised to its normal position thus completing the cycle and the machineis then ready to repeat the operations in making another tuft.

Inasmuch as the present invention relates to the method I have notthought it necessary to describe the machine in detail but have simplyillustrated a tufting machine sufl'iciently to enable the process to beunderstood.

An important feature of the invention is that the needle is insertedthrough the mattress before the latter is compressed and while the innersprings are expanded so that the individual turns of the spring are incondition to readily flex or yield in case they are engaged by theneedle during its penetrating thrust thereby to permit such thrust to bemade without danger of breaking the spring or needle. In accordance withthis invention the necessary compression of the mattress at the tuftingpoint takes place after the needle has been inserted through themattress and preferably after the tuft on the upper face of the mattresshas been formed and while the needle is being withdrawn.

claim.

1. The method of tufting mattresses which consists in mechanicallyinserting a threaded needle through the mattress while the latter isuncompressed thereby to carry a tuiting cord through the mattress, tyinga tuft to the end of .ie cord which has been thus carried through themattress, withdrawing the needle from the mattress and simultaneouslycompressing the mattress at the point where the tuft is being made, andwhile the mattress still remains compressed forming a second tuftingknot n said cord on the opposite side or the mattress from that on whichthe first knot was made.

The method. of tufting mattresses which consists in inserting throughthe mattress while the latter is uncompressed a needle threaded with asingle tufting cord thereby to carry a single length of tufting cordthrough the mate tress from the side thereof into which the needleentered to the side from which the point of the needle emerged duringits penetrating thrust, tying a tuft to the end of the single tuftingcord which has thus been carried through the mattress on the face or themattress through which the point of the needle emerged, withdrawing theneedle from the mattress while the cord is still threaded through theeye thereof thereby leaving a single length of tufting cord extendingfrom the tuit through the mattress, compressing the mattress at thepoint where the cord is located without increasing the tension of thecord, and while the mattress remains compressed severing the cordbetween the mattress and the needle and tying a second tuft to the cordon the face of the mattress into which the needle was inserted.

3. The method of tufting mattresses which consists in inserting a singlelength of tufting cord through the mattress while the latter is in anuncompressed condition so that a free end of the cord is exposed on oneface or" the mattress, tying a tuft to said free end, compressing themattress at the point where the cord has been inserted, drawing thesingle cord taut to bring said tuft against said face of the mattress,and while the mattress is compressed tying a tuft to the cord in closeadjacency to the other face of the mattress.

WILFRED B. MATHEwsoN.

